Eagle Ray Kills Woman In Florida: Video

MSNBC brought us some seriously bizarre "breaking news" today out of Florida. The network showed images of a stingray that had allegedly killed a woman by either knocking her in the head while flying over the boat she was in or stabbing her with its barb. The dead ray was being transported back to the shore so that investigators could assess how the accident killed both parties.

Watch the video and read more about what happened from Reuters.

A sting ray leaped out of the water and killed a woman who was boating with her family in Florida.

Comments

[ethancorso]

A woman has died. Please refrain from humour, political or otherwise.

[RoseMerry]

In copyrighted story from AP http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080321/D8VI24F80.htmll) this poor woman is identifed as Judy Kay Zagorski, 57. Monroe County's medical examiner, Dr. Michael Hunter, determined that the cause of death was "blunt force" head injury and she was not stung by the ray. Her husband has died two years ago in a surgery on his shoulder. She was on the boat with her father, Virgil Bouck, 88, who was driving; her mother, Verneta; and her sister, Joyce Ann Miller She is also survived by a brother, Dan Bouck, who called her a "truly awesome sister" who volunteered to work with terminally ill patients. My prays and condolences to her family for this awful loss.

[dattexas]

Waiting for the headline on Huffpost blaming this on HIllary.

[jbeach]

Waiting for one of Hillary's advisors to blame this on Obama.

[situationcritical]

Sting, Manta, Eagle...don't matter - these ray creatures are FA-REE-KEE.

[flydoghead]

I hear that this so called , "spotted Eagle Ray ", actually is a paid Clinton advisor.

[justwaitandsee]

Good One

[insanityfollows]

This is what, three notorious stingray deaths (though there where probably more) in a couple of years? Stingrays gone wild. We've done something to piss them off, obviously.

[PistonMoaned]

Fundamentalist suicide stingrays.

[Charity]

"The spotted eagle ray is commonly observed in bays and over coral reefs as well as the occasional foray into estuarine habitats. Although it occurs in inshore waters to depths of approximately 200 feet (60 m), the spotted eagle ray spends most of its time swimming in schools in open water. In open waters, spotted eagle rays often form large schools and swim close to the surface.

It is known to swim long distances across open waters as evidenced by its presence in Bermuda. This species is capable of leaping completely out of the water when pursued. It swims by "flying" gracefully through the water via the undulation of the pectoral fins.

When this ray is caught and taken out of the water, it produces loud sounds. Although much research is still needed on the life history of the spotted eagle ray, it is known that this species shows high site fidelity (individuals often stay in or return to the same location). This ray also interacts socially with other individuals within its own species. " FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY WEB SITE.

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[GeneralJones]

The same thing happened to my (then 7 or 8 years-old) cousin about 15 yrs ago (pre cell-phone days). A spotted eagle ray was gliding and struck him in the head. There was a gash from the wing but he had a more severe wound after falling and hitting his head on a gas tank and cutting it open. The ray was so big it hung over the sides of their small boat and it took all the adrenaline my uncle and his 6' 9'' friend had to push it up off of them. They were several miles out and if they hadn't been able to flag down a faster boat and then, as luck would have it, also find a heart surgeon who happened to be standing on the beach as they came in who could treat him and get a Lifeflight helicopter, my cousin would have bled to death.

[XCITIZEN]

Man, now I'm scared - that is one %*@# SCARY tale.

[WaspMan]

This is sloppy journalism.

Stingrays are not capable of jumping out of the water, much less flying. Clearly, they caught the thing, unwisely pulled it aboard (Michigoans in Florida) and mayhem ensued.

Stingrays are very dangerous - but they cannot fly. Learn to edit or fact check.

[thebirdstheword]

actually, marlon perkins- rays can and do regularly jump out of water. scientists aren't sure why they do, they suspect that they do it as a way to relieve themselves of parasites. but it happens.

[GeneralJones]

They don't "fly" but they can, in fact, glide several feet above the water for hundreds of feet at a time. You can look it up.

[AJTheReverb]

It is a spotted eagle ray. And they can jump.

The station I work for reported it accurately.

[heavysole]

Michi-goans? Try Michi-gander. And yes, they do glide up out of the water. This type of ray can get up to 500 lbs. I don't think some 55 y/o yankee is going to be out fishing for one.

[situationcritical]

Now why on earth would any animal need to be 500 lbs.?

[Charity]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2QTOz8kDZg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjDYKTYNacI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUVsYGwvbNk&feature=related

as a floridian, i personally have seen either a mantaray or a stingray jumping out of the water appearing to "fly". i saw this as i was driving in the car on the way to the keys - suddenly one jumped/flew out of the water some distance and then back again. i once read that marine scientists think that possibly in some cases they are trying to escape a shark attack.

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[TreetopFlyer]

There was another, similar Spotted Eagle incident last year in So. FL, occurring after the Steve Irwin incident, in which a Spotted Eagle flew out of the water and pierced a grandfather's heart while he was fishing with his grandson.

Rare and tragic incidents such as these have provided much fodder over the centuries for the volumes of recorded sea legend and lore. Great authors have pondered our puzzling existence within it's rarefied realm of possibility.

What I find particularly puzzling about the Spotted Eagle, is how it knows precisely how to position itself for a kill - and where to locate the human heart.

[CarolinaDem]

They use their X Ray Vision

[jbeach]

Probably, in the midst of it's freakout on jumping out of the water, the stingray aims straight for the middle part of what's standing up. Which, exposed on a boat, would be the upper torso.

[cheneyhasawarmachine]

when clinton was prez nobody died.

[GhostintheMachine]

Have you ever heard of Khobar Towers, USS Cole, US Embassies, Somolia, Waco, Oklahoma City, The Chinese Embassy in Serbia Etc Etc

[Shockedandsaddened]

I personally knew this woman. She was a kind, caring, wonderful woman who lost her husband 2 years ago and was struggling to carry-on with life. She has left behind 2 sons and a brand new grandson. She was on her yearly visit to visit her parents in the Keys - something she looked forward to each year. Her friends and family are stunned beyond belief. She was much loved and admired and will be dearly missed.

[situationcritical]

So very sad indeed. Thank you for the reality check. Blessings to her family and friends.

[Pleidian]

Condolences.

[Pleidian]

NEPTUNEVILLE, ABYSSAL TRENCH BUREAU, Wednesday the 29th of March.
Today an elite operative of the Stingray High Command, acting on a standing kill order, tragically died while acting on the bad inteligence that the executive of a major oil drilling company was on board a boat. The High Command deeply regrets the action and offered its condolences, but reminded the delegates that a pre-emptive doctrine remains a sane and effective strategy.

[Pleidian]

Wow..even the stingrays are pissed off at this point...Cheney better watch himself on the Sultan's yacht!

[GhostintheMachine]

Just like you liberals, someone dies and you joke about it. May she rest in peace.

[johnmorgan]

Thanks to you conservatives, a million Iraqis are dead.

[ChristianEcon.com]

"Thanks to you conservatives, a million Iraqis are dead."

So what? The billionaires are raking it in and partying hard. That's what counts.

[thebirdstheword]

thank god you have moral compasses like rush limbaugh and ann coulter to light your path.

[dsm]

"Nope. No WMDs there..."

[authoritarianbootlicker]

Mission Accomplished!

[JuniorBug]

That's not "liberals" (or "conservatives"), that's "childish idiots liberated by the anonymity of the internet."